Ghost Hearse (Black Death):

Stories tell of haunted cars driving down the remains of highway crisscrossing
what was once the Old American Empire. Some are good, some are evil. Some
of the darkest tales told are about a black vehicle which is considered
to be the harbinger of death. Even many of those who consider themselves
to be evil avoid the car and it is told that other haunted vehicle avoid
the evil Hearse as well. The car appears to be a black vehicle known as
Hearse, a type of vehicle also known as funeral cars. Most often the Black
Hearse seems to be seen in the Southern parts of what had been the United
States, especially the states of Texas and New Mexico. It can also be sometimes
found driving through areas of Mexico as well.

The Black Hearse appears to have seen better days, the dark tinted windshield
is cracked and the vehicle has rust spots and has actually rusted completely
out in a number of areas especially in the lower side panels. The half
top is also black but is ripped and frayed as well. The curtains inside
the rear area are yellow from age and are tattered in many areas. The inside
has cracked black leather seats and leather dash. If someone peaks through
the curtains into the rear, they will see an open coffin with a rotting
corpse or skeleton inside of it dressed in fine cloths and often dressed
in elaborate jewelry. Sometimes the dead body is male and sometimes the
corpse is female. The engine sounds as if it has blown multiple gaskets
and makes sickly sounds as if it is on its last days. Unfortunately, this
is not the case. From out of the exhaust pipe comes sickly green smoke
emanates and blood appears to drip out as well. Around the car, the sickly
smell of rotting flesh can be perceived and there is just something emanating
from the car which is pure evil.

The Black Hearse seems to prefer the night and especially dark and dreary
days. Rainy night are some of the most common times which it might be seen.
While most sightings of the car have been at night, stories tell of the
car being seen during sunny days as well, maybe it is on errands of its
own. No one really seems to know what drives the car and those who have
looked inside have never seen anyone in the drivers seat. There are many
stories about the origin of the Hearse. One tells that the Hearse was owed
by a serial killer who used his business as an undertaker to get rid of
corpse and that refused to give up his stalking when he died. Some think
that he was a necromancer. Tales also tell that he died in the Black Hearse
and so became part of the car. Stories about the vehicle seem to have originated
only a few years after the coming of the Rifts. There are reports of Coalition
troops having encountered the car and having attempted to destroy it each
time and there are also stories of Cyber Knights and Ley Line Walkers who
attempted to destroy the evil haunted Hearse. So far, the car has survived
every attempt at its destruction. Even though the car appears to be badly
rusted, it is extremely tough and seems to have the ability to simply disappear.
Whenever the car is hit, it leaks what appears to be human blood.

Occasionally will stop to pick someone up although no one living has
ever gotten alive out of the Hearse again. Even so, some people seem to
be stupid enough to enter the car. Some mystic scholars believe that the
essence of these people power the car. A story is told of two companions
and one of the companions got into the car. The second person refused but
weeks later the car pulled beside him and he looked in the back. He saw
the rotting corpse of his friend. Stories also tell that a vampire can
ride in the car without being harmed and that a vampire is even protected
from the sun while riding in the car. It is also said that the car will
sometimes stop to pick up a vampire and they will hunt together. The vampire
will drag a victim into the car and it appears that both share the feast.
It might be that the car cannot consume supernatural creatures because
all victims, according to tales told, have been normal human. In addition
to consuming anyone who enters the car, the Hearse will sometimes engage
in wanton destruction such as throwing evil magic to devastate a town or
sometimes simply running someone over on the road. This includes the ability
to summon an army of the dead. It also has the ability to enchant the dead
so they are invulnerable to everything except heavy weapons. One trick
it has done which has been recorded several times has been to attack a
village from one direction and quickly drive to the other side. It will
allow its door to be opened as if it is means of escape and then it will
consume its passengers. It is very unpredictable, sometimes it will just
pull up to someone so they can just see the dead body riding in the back.

Notes:[1] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the
attacker to make a “called shot,” but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the unit down completely,
making it useless. No one knows if the car would regenerate if completely
destroyed.
Note: The Hearse will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations
M.D.C. per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being
damaged. Also, the Hearse can create an "Necro-Armor" force field of 130
M.D.C.

Speed:Ground: Top speed on roads of 120 mph (193.1 kph) with a normal
cruise speed of 66 mph (106.2 kph.) The car is not really designed for
off road travel, top speed is 40 mph (64 kph)
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited, the car appears to need
no refueling and seems to run on magical energy.

Statistical Data:Height: 4.8 feet (1.46 meters)
Width: 6.2 feet (1.90 meters)
Length: 20.4 feet (6.2 meters)
Weight: 4,800 lbs (2,200 kilograms)
Power Source: Magic, the Hearse's systems seem to work as if
run by magic. Originally, internal 7.0 liter combustion engine.
Cargo Capacity: Rear Cargo compartment, if cleared of the coffin
can carry around 150 cubic feet (4.25 cubic meters) of volume. Space has
approximate dimensions of 10 feet (3.0 meters) long by 5 feet (1.5 meters)
wide by about 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall. In addition, a small amount can
be stored in the drivers compartment.
Black Market Cost: Not for Sale, due to the evil and haunted
nature of the car, it is doubtful anyone would want the car and the vehicle
is completely independent.

Weapon Systems: None but can use various magic spells.

Special Abilities as a Haunted Vehicle:

Will of Its Own: The car sometimes has a will of its own and and
operates completely independently. The car appears to chose its own course
(Will not allow anyone else to drive) and it never allows any passengers
(including vampires) to activate its own abilities.
The Hearse is quite evil and twisted. Its alignment should be considered
to be diabolic. It sees anyone who gets inside to be its prey. It also
like to simply cause as much destruction as it can including using its
magic to rain down destruction and to run over living beings while it drives
down the road. The only creatures it has not been seen to murder are vampires
which the car seems to regard as its allies.

Inexhaustible Propulsive Force: Range and fuel are not a problem;
the car seems able to go on forever, powered by a magical power source.

Regenerates Damage: The Hearse will regenerate at 20% of the hit
locations M.D.C. per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days
of being damaged. Even if a hit location is completely destroyed, it will
slowly regenerate until completely restored. The vehicle will only be destroyed
if the vehicle is brought to -350 M.D.C. Otherwise, the vehicle will regenerate
all damage. Whenever the Hearse is damaged, it will appear to bleed.

Rejects Modern Components: The automobile will not accept the addition
of modern components and components will seem to fail within a few days.

Natural Invisibility: The automobile is capable of assuming an invisible
(Both Visually and on Radar) and perfectly silent state, even when running
full out! The vehicle cannot engage in any sort of offensive action (such
as an attack spell) without dropping its invisibility. Can engage this
ability 4 times per day with a duration of up to 60 minutes at a time.

Natural Intangibility: The vehicle has the ability to become immaterial
and intangible, and ghost through solid objects. The car can drive right
through solid objects and can drive over water when the enchantment is
activated. The car cannot be harmed by normal weapons while intangible
but can be effected by magic weapons and psionics. Conventional weapons
(used by a vampire passenger) cannot be used while the Hearse is intangible.
Speed does not change while intangible. The car appears to be ghostlike
when it goes intangible and cannot be detected on radar. Can engage this
ability 4 times per day for up to 30 minutes at a time.

Blood Sacrifice: When the car allows a living passenger to get in
(or are forced in), the car uses their energy to power itself. The car
will usually wait until it has traveled a little distance from where they
had picked up the unfortunate passenger. If the person is in body armor,
the vehicle will wait until its victim takes off their helmet. The person
will suddenly find themselves with the seatbelt pinning them in the seat.
The belt will not release and the door will not open. The only way to escape
is to have supernatural strength of 30 or greater. Wires will then come
out to strangle the rider and later carry them into the coffin. The Black
Car can also fill the driver / passenger compartment with poisonous green
gas to suffocate the victim. The previous corpse is simply tossed from
the back of the Hearse.

Death Aura: The vehicle fairly glows of death energy; anyone who
looks at it can instinctively sense its necromantic energies. This death
aura also shields vampires who are passengers form the effects of the sun.
The vehicle also exudes a sickly smell of death and rotting flesh.

Natural P.P.E. / Spell Casting: 180, the Hearse is surrounded by
dark magical energies and the magic spells appear to be necromancer style
in origin. The energy regenerates at the rate of 12 P.P.E. per hour. Double
P.P.E. and regeneration on ley lines and unconsecrated graveyards and triple
P.P.E. and regeneration at a Ley Line Nexus. Magical spells are only cast
by the car itself. The Hearse can also cast the following spells with spells
considered to be cast as if cast by a tenth level spell caster: